Punch Shots: Pelini burning bridges at FAU

Well, things sure are getting interesting at Florida Atlantic. This is going to be one heck of a “he-said, he-said” scenario.

Head football coach Carl Pelini resigned recently after allegations surfaced that he and some of his staff used illegal drugs at a party. FAU athletic director Patrick Chun told reporters Oct. 30 that both Pelini and defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis admitted to him to using illegal drugs. That, as you might imagine, is frowned upon, which is reflective in their respective contracts.

Chun told ESPN’s Brett McMurphy Thursday that Pelini agreed to take a drug test Oct. 30, but when told it would have to be done right away at the school, Pelini reversed course and rejected the idea.

Thursday was also the day that Pelini changed his mind on the matter. The coach said he didn’t use illegal drugs and was seeking to be reinstated as the Owls’ coach. This is where it gets fun. Chun said that Pelini “voluntarily resigned” and “refused to cooperate in the investigation.” Pelini, in turn, said that he was forced to resign because of this.

Oh, and there’s also the matter that FAU defensive line coach Matt Edwards and Allison Stewart, whom Chun called “a personal friend” of the coaches, said that they saw Pelini smoking marijuana at a coaches’ trip. Edwards also added that he saw both embattled coaches use cocaine in the past year, which, well, yeah. That’s not going to help either’s case.

Bottom line, it doesn’t look good for Pelini and Rekstis. Any time you’re remotely linked to illegal drugs as a college coach, it’s probably time to move on.

But hey, have at it, Carl. I’m sure FAU is going to absolutely love re-hiring a coach who went 5-15 and dabbles in drugs on the side.